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Thursday, January 3, 2013

Stolen from Facebook and Hemingway

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

Ever been to the Dice Dojo in Edgewater? It's the competitive and social headquarters for offline gaming in Chicago. Whether you want to play wargames, miniatures, card games, role-playing games or any other kind of tabletop game, the Dojo provides a clean, welcoming and relatively sweet-smelling environment. Why shouldn't chess players enjoy the same?Unlike the majority of gamers at the Dice Dojo, you play a game with no dice. There's no good luck to save you and no bad luck to blame; it's all on you. But you're not alone: There are 550 USCF members living in Chicago, with a total of 2,820 in the greater metropolitan area. More impressive, over 26,000 Facebook users in Chicago list chess as an interest. This is a population in need of exactly what the Chicago Chess Center intends to provide: a comfortable gathering place for players of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. Why should Warhammer players have all the goodies?

By donating now to the Chicago Chess Center, you’ll support the creation of a new home for chess in Chicago.
But it's not just a recreational mission. The Chicago Chess Center will promote excellence through classes, tournaments and open play to residents of all ages. For scholastic players, chess has a measurable impact on many essential skills, including analytical reasoning, pattern recognition and attention span. Those gains can’t be matched by Magic: The Gathering and HeroClix. Older players also benefit from the cognitive exercise that chess provides. You can contribute to a brain-healthy populace!
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity, the Chicago Chess Center will serve Chicago, providing a safe haven for play, instruction and fun, and partnering with other civic institutions to make our community a better and brighter place for all. Just as the Dice Dojo is active in its community, participating in "positive loitering," hosting events for local schools and churches, and donating items for fundraisers, the Chicago Chess Center will similarly fulfill its mission through community engagement and service.The center has a plan for financial viability and top-notch professionals on its board. But opening the doors is not cheap. The seed money that this campaign will provide is essential to ensure that those doors stay open and that the center thrives.So I ponied up. Why don’t you? Join me in supporting the Chicago Chess Center, and we may see its doors open as soon as this May.Thank you for considering my plea,Mike Cardinale
Metro Vice President, Illinois Chess Association
Founders' Court, Chicago Chess Center
1981 East Coast Champion, Cosmic Encounter